Mississippi State University men’s basketball continued the slump on the road in a disappointing 99-67 loss to University of Alabama Saturday.
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The Bulldogs traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in hopes of taking down the no. 24 ranked Crimson Tide. Early shooting woes had Mississippi State in a large deficit they could not overcome, despite having a 43-point second half. The Bulldogs were out-rebounded 48-37 in the game, allowing 20 offensive rebounds.
MSU starting forward DJ Jeffries was injured in the game. No report has come out stating the exact injury or timetable for his return. He was seen on the sideline with an ice pack on his knee. The fifth year graduate student is fourth on the team for rebounds, averaging just under 6 per game.
Senior Tolu Smith has continued a strong offensive run since returning from injury early in the season. He produced 23 points and 5 rebounds. However, his inconsistency at the free throw line continued last night, shooting 7-13 for the game. In the 10 games he has played, he has continued to be a dominant presence in the paint and continues to lead the team in scoring since his return with 16.9 points per game.
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Freshman Josh Hubbard, who has been electric for the Bulldog’s offense, had his worst performance since becoming a starter. He has been averaging 14.6 points per game but was held to only 7 points last night, shooting 1-9 from the court and 0 of 5 from the three-point line.
Sophomore Sean Jones Jr. was a spark from the bench for the Bulldogs, dropping a season high 10 points with 6 rebounds.
Mississippi State did not show a great offensive performance during the game. They shot 25% from the three-point line and finished 19 of 32 from the free throw line. The offense also had 18 turnovers which allowed Alabama 27 points off turnovers.
The team falls to 14-8 on the season and only 3-6 in conference play. On the road, they are now 0-5 in SEC play and 3-7 on the season. This game marks the first half of conference play, and the Bulldogs are now no. 11 in the SEC.
“Just stay together,” Jones Jr. said. “Keep digging, and we are going to become the team we need to become to get the job done.”
Next up, the Bulldogs will take on the University of Georgia at home Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
